Advocates support NY special education preschool

Some education advocates in New York are out with recommendations to protect preschool special education programs. WAMC’s Dave Lucas reports.

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The groups Advocates for Children of New York and the Alliance for Quality Education are worried that recent reports of costly fraud by some providers could jeopardize the programs.

At a news conference in Albany Thursday, they encouraged the state to vigorously audit programs and improve financing procedures.

The preschool special education program serves 3- to 5-year-olds with developmental delays or other disabilities. It's been under scrutiny following a series of recent audits by the state comptroller's office that found some private contractors had cheated the system out of millions of dollars.

Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli's office is now doing a top-to-bottom audit of the state education department's oversight and management of special education.

• © 2012 The Associated Press.